Car-warmer



(No Model.)

J. Q. C. SEARLE.

GAR WARMER.

NoE 311,533. Patented Feb. 3, 1885.

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ilniiTnn dTaTn-s FaTnNT Tirion@ JOHhT Q. C. SEARLRKOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-WARMER.

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,533, dated February 3, 1885.

(No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that l, JOHN Q. C. SEARLE, of Chicago, in the county o" Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-farmers oi' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hct-water warming apparatus for railway-cars, and has for its object the construction cfa simple device, where,` by the quantity of water held in the expansionchamber may be determined at a glance, thereby regulating the quantity carried in such a manner that accidents or damage now due to an overplus or lack of water-as, for instance, straining of joints by the pressure of expansion when too much water is carried, or burning the coil when empty of water-may be entirely avoided.

In hot-water warming apparatus for rait way-cars an expansion-chamber, located at the highest point of the circuit, usually upon the roof oit' the car, is always employed, which chamber is partially iilled with water, and serves partly as an expansion-chamber, into which is received theincrease of volume of water by elevation of its temperature and consequent expansion, and also all air or vapor from the water, and as a reservoir from which water is drawn to make up any deiicienees in the heating-coil or circulatiowpipcs by leakage or blowing oil.

To insure the correct working of the expansion-chamber, it is necessary that some certain and convenient means be provided by which the level or quantity of water may be rea-d at a glance, and such an appliance is the object of my present invention, the construction and operation o't' which is described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows the interior of a railway-car containing the customary heating and circulation apparatus. Figs. 2 and 3 are detached views of the devices employed to indicate the level of water in the expansion-chamber.

Similar letters of referenceindicate similar parts.

A is the heatingstove, of any approved forni; B, a conical corrugated water-heating chamber, which displaces the coil heretofore employed, the novelty and advantages of which will be fully described in a separate application for patent; C, the flue for escape of the volatile products of combustion; D D, the pipes forming, in conjunction with the usual radiators upon one side of the car, the outiiow oi' the circuit, and E E the pipes forming, in conjunction with the radiators upon the opposite side of car, the return-now of the circuit; F, the stand-pipe, connecting the heating chamber B and outflow-pipes D with the expansion-chamber G, located upon the deck or lroof ofthe car. j" is a special fitting, the novelty and advantages of which form part of the subject-matter of an application `for patent now pending, and need not be further described herein. The expansionchamber Gis provided with the customary relief-valve, g, iilling-cock g, and blow-out cock g.

H is a hand force-pump, arranged to sup- ?,ly water to the lower end of heating-chamber B, provided with the usual receiving and discharge valves, stop-valve,and suction-pipe, all of which are fully described in a previous application for patent, and need not be further described herein,

J is a metallic case, provided with a cylindrical glass tube, j, fitting the interior or bore of case, and with screw-capsj", which in turn are threaded centrally to receive pipes J J 2, respectively. The screw-caps j are so arranged that when screwed down on the case J rubber rings j, abutting against the ends of tube j are ,compressed and a water-tight joint made somewhat in the manner or' packing glass-tube water-gages for steam-boiler use. The pipe J connects the upper end of case J with the expansion-chamber Cr and the pipe J 2, the lower end thereoiI with the special f1tting j', or with any other part ofthe system of outiow-pipes D, or, as shown by dotted lines of Fig. 1, with the system of return-pipes E.

Ii is a hollow sheet-metal iioat, provided with kstem 7c and index 7.1', the iioat lying in the expansion'chamber C, the stem extending down the pipe J and the index lying in the glass tube 7' or' case J. The iioat Ii rises and falls with the changes of level of water in thc expansion-chamber G, and coincident with the change of level of iioat the index k' travels up or down the tube j.

Convenient gage- Ico points `on the case J, indicating expansionchamber entirely full, half full, or empty, enables the attendant in charge of the warming apparatus to observe at a glance the quantity 5 of water in the expansion-chamber G, and by means of pump H to restore any deficiency.

The principal objection to the use of the present hot-water warming apparatus for railway-cars is the lack of a convenient means of Io ascertaining the state or level of water in the expansion-chamber, and, although the risks are not as great, it is as necessary that the mean level of water in the expansioirchamber G should be maintained for the safe and efficient operation of hot-water warming apparatus as that the level of water in a steamboiler should be constantly known to the attendant. The devices are simple and easily constructed, not liable to derangement, and 2o furnish a prompt and efficient means of determining the`level of water carried in the expansion-chamber. Ihe pipe J2, connecting the lower end of case J with the special fitting f, or to any other convenient point of the system of circulation-pipes, furnishes an open column through which water will freely pass upward or downward around index lo', according to the changes of the temperature of the water in the circulation system. 3o I am aware that glass or. sight gages for steam-boilers are old and well known; but these gages are set so as to indicate in the lower portion Water and in the upper portion sf eam, while my construction of gages enables the level of water in an elevated expansion chamber or reservoir to be read off the gage Jj at any desired point below the actual level thereof.

Having described my invention, what I claim isv I. The combination, in an apparatus for warming cars, of an expansion-chamber, G, a float, K, an indicator, a glass-tube water-gage arranged below the expansion-chamber and connected therewith, and the system of circulation-pipes, substantially as described.-

2. In a hot-water warming apparatus for railwaycars, in combination with expansionchamber G and special tting f, of the pipes J J2, case J, glass tube j, iioat K, stem 7c, and index la', substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name v to the foregoing specification in the of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN Q. C. SEARLE.

presence Witnesses:

Ori-As. ANDERSON, J osEPH W. SIMs. 

